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For the second day in a row a filly bred by Bobby Flay and offered through Stone Farm brought seven figures. That after a Tiznow filly from Flay’s GSP Countess Lemonade (Storm Cat) was hammered down to the Berglar family’s Stonereath Stud for $1.1 million. Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm consigned the filly as Hip 549. On Tuesday, Flay’s Tapit–Super Espresso (Medaglia d’Oro) filly sold to Chiefswood Stable for $1 million.
“Its good to be Bobby Flay,” said Russell. “Two million-dollar yearlings; pretty good going. Arthur Hancock did a wonderful job and presented them well, obviously, and they sold very, very well. “Tuesday’s filly was very nice, and [yesterday]’s filly was spectacular.”
For the second time in as many days, Bobby Flay had reason for a celebratory meal.
A Tapit filly from the celebrity chef’s Super Espresso (Medaglia d’Oro) brought $1 million from Chiefswood Stable Tuesday (story), and a Flaybred daughter of Tiznow (hip 549) commanded a winning bid of $1.1 million from Dr. Christoph Berglar’s Stonereath Stud yesterday. Both fillies were consigned by Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm.
Through agent James Delahooke, Flay purchased French listed-placed Countess Lemonade (Storm Cat) for 700,000 guineas at the 2010 Tattersalls while she was ‘only’ a half-sister to European champion Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill). Campaigned by Flay in the U.S. the following year, the dark bay was third in Belmont’s GIII Athenia S. for conditioner Todd Pletcher.
Countess Lemonade and her first foal–this Tiznow filly– grew increasingly valuable last year when the Coolmore contingent’s Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half to Countess Lemonade and Duke of Marmalade, annexed the G1 Epsom Derby.
“It’s been a very good sale,” Flay said understatedly. “I think what that proves is that if you buy quality racehorses and mares, that the blood continues on. I’m in this for the long run. Super Espresso was a filly that I bought here in 2008, and she produced the filly that sold yesterday for $1 million. I bought Countess Lemonade at Tattersalls when she was a 3-year-old.
That’s a family that’s world-class. It doesn’t get any better than that in the stud book. These fillies are carrying on their bloodlines, and as you can see they’ve produced beautiful babies.”
Flay said it was a tough decision to part with hip 549, but explained, “It was her first foal, it was a very good mating and she was a good physical. Plus, she’s a young mare. Some people here are lucky enough to hold on to everything that they breed, but I can’t do that.”
Flay continued, “I love to race, but I have to sell some good ones as well. Hopefully, she’ll have plenty more babies and I’ll be able to race some of those.”
Countess Lemonade has a Medaglia d’Oro colt on the ground, and is currently carrying a filly by Galileo (Ire). She hails from the same extended Lane’s End female family as A.P. Indy.
Peter Berglar, bidding on behalf of his family’s Stonereath Stud, was forced to $1.1 million to secure a filly by Tiznow (hip 549) late in Wednesday’s session of the September sale.
“I bought her for my dad, Dr. Christoph Berglar, who owns Stonereath Stud in Paris,” Berglar said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “We bought her to race here in the United States.”
The yearling is out of graded stakes placed Countess Lemonade (Storm Cat), a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill) and Group 1 winner Ruler of the World (Galileo {Ire}).
“I liked the individual a lot, the presence of her and, of course the page, she has a lovely pedigree,” Berglar said. “We hope for her to be a broodmare down the road, but in the near future we are looking forward to her racing career. We are going to enjoy that first.”
Berglar admitted the filly’s seven-figure price tag was not unexpected.
“I think, in this market, for that kind of mare, you have to go that far,” he said.
Stonereath Stud, purchased by the Berglar family in 2011, is home to a broodmare band of around 25 mares, including boarders. The band includes German champion Night Lagoon (Ger) (Lagunas {GB}), dam of Dr. Berglar’s champion Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), as well Emma’s Encore (Congrats), who won the 2012 GI Prioress S. for Berglar. Also in the group is Grade II winner Summer Applause (Harlan’s Holiday), who was purchased by Stonereath for $1.3 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale.
“We breed to race and to sell,” Berglar said. “We are trying to build a nice solid broodmare band with some quality.” Berglar added the filly will likely be trained in the U.S. by Graham Motion.
While Pearson and Cassidy have been shopping in Book 1, they haven’t necessarily been paying Book 1 prices. They haven’t gone higher than $390,000 (for a Tapit filly {hip 272} consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Hargus & Sandra Sexton and Steven & Brandi Nicholson), and have paid as little as $125,000.
“We’re finding the ones we like best and hoping we can get them for a fair price.”
The duo said that they are particularly excited about hip 293, a Stone Farm-consigned Unbridled’s Song colt out of Strawberry Sense from the family of champion Vindication that they paid $335,000 for.
“We got one colt Tuesday that Deron’s still a little bit concerned about, but we love him,” Cassidy noted.
Pearson explained, “He’s the best-looking horse we’ve seen here, but he was acting a little crazy. We still decided to take a shot.”
521 colt War Front/Chatham 490,000 B-Stone Farm (KY).
Consigned by Stone Farm; Purchased by MV Magnier
Stone Farm’s Arthur Hancock III bought MSP dam Chatham (Maria’s Mon) for $190,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November sale while in foal to Arch. That colt fetched $475,000 at the 2011 September sale and her 2012 War Front filly went to Barry Berkelhammer for $400,000 at last year’s sale. The profits continued yesterday when MV Magnier signed for this pricey War Front colt.
